The second royal tern of the season was found by Matt Pelikan on July 12 on Norton Point Beach.

Today’s column reports the start of the season of southbound migrant birds!

The volume of bird song has decreased in the past few weeks.

Make no mistake about it, the corvids – the crows – can be very noisy.

It pays to look upward quickly when you see shorebirds suddenly rise up into the air.

Warm weather has finally come our way, and many of our thoughts turn to beaches.

Migration continues this week and three species were added to our year list. At least two sandhill cranes are still hanging out on the Island.

The peak of migration is past, but that does not mean it is over.

The middle of May has come and gone and migration is at or near its peak.

This year’s northward migration is peaking now, but it continues to be about the return of our nesting birds rather than migrants moving through as they head to their more distant nesting grounds.